A Spanish Tapas Feast

These recipes were created for littleseed by Mel and Oli from @beantherecookedthat on Instagram

It’s absolute spanish feast, ideal for a celebration or having friends and family round for dinner.

Saffron Aioli

• Pinch of saffron

• Whole bulb of garlic

• littleseed extra virgin British rapeseed oil

• 2 egg yolks

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

• Squeeze of lemon

Method

1. Slice a whole bulb of garlic in half, wrap in tin foil and bake in the oven for around 1.5 hours at 180C until it goes soft and golden in colour.

2. Add 1-2 tablespoons of boiling water to the dried saffron and leave to soak for 5 minutes

3. In a food processor or blender, add 2 egg yolks, the mustard, vinegar and saffron mixture then blend. While blending, slowly add the oil (being very careful not to add too quickly so the mixture splits). Keep stopping and checking the thickness of the mayo until it is how you like it. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and some seasoning if necessary then refrigerate for around 15 minutes before serving.

Serrano Ham Croquettes (makes 12 croquettes)

• 75g Serrano Ham

• 60g plain flour

• 4 tbsp littleseed extra virgin rapeseed oil

• 400ml full fat milk

• Pinch of nutmeg

• 1 egg for egg wash

• Fine golden breadcrumbs

• 1L sunflower oil (for frying)

Method

1. Add the rapeseed oil to a medium heat pan and allow to heat for a few minutes. Finely slice the ham then add to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes until it has crisped up slightly. Add the flour and cook out for another 5 minutes until golden but not burnt.

2. In a separate pan, warm the milk on a low heat and add the nutmeg to the milk. Using one ladle at a time, slowly incorporate the milk into the ham mixture until all the milk is gone. On a medium heat, season the mixture then constantly stir until it gets thicker and thicker and eventually comes away from the sides of the pan. This should take around 15 minutes and can be quite tiring!

3. Pour the now thick mixture into a dish (or tupperware), allowing the thickness of the mixture to be around 1 inch. Cover with cling film (so a skin doesn’t form) and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Once solidified, cut the dough into golf ball sized pieces and shape into the classic croquette shape. Dip in seasoned flour, egg wash, then breadcrumbs and leave to one side before frying.

4. Heat your oil in a deep, heavy duty pot (we usually let it heat for around 10 minutes). Add your croquettes to the oil and fry until golden then leave to dry on a plate with a thick layer of kitchen roll to remove any excess grease.

Lamb Meatballs (makes 12 meatballs)

• 475g of lamb mince (pork or beef will work just as well)

• Half a white onion

• 2 cloves of garlic

• ½ tsp paprika

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• 1 egg

• 1 handful finely chopped parsley

• 2 tbsp littleseed extra virgin rapeseed oil

Method

1. Chop half an onion as fine as possible and fry on medium heat in the oil with the 2 crushed cloves of garlic until reduced in size and cooked through.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the lamb, egg, onions & garlic mixture, paprika, smoked paprika and parsley then mix together thoroughly and season.

3. Form into golf ball sized meatballs and bake at 180C until golden and caramelised.

4. Add to the Spanish style tomato sauce (see recipe below) and finish with some fresh chopped parsley to garnish.

Tomato Sauce (for meatballs and patatas bravas)

• 1 tin chopped tomatoes

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• Half a white onion

• 3 cloves of garlic

• 2 tbsp littleseed extra virgin rapeseed oil

Method

1. Roughly chop the onions and garlic and add to a saucepan with the oil and sweat. Once cooked slightly after 5-10 minutes, add the spices and cook on a low heat so as not to burn (around 1-2 mins).

2. Add the tinned tomatoes, season well with salt & pepper and cook out for 10 minutes before blending the sauce until smooth.

3. Add the sauce back to the pan and reduce until thickened to your preference.

4. Add meatballs (see recipe) or spoon over patatas bravas.

Patatas Bravas (serves 2)

• 2 large Maris Piper potatoes

• 4 tbsp tomato sauce (see recipe)

• 3 tbsp littleseed Garlic & Herb Oil

• 1 tbsp aioli (see recipe above)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180C.

2. Chop your potatoes into small cubes and then pat dry with kitchen roll. In a mixing bowl add the oil to your potatoes and mix well so they all have an even coating. Season with salt & pepper.

3. On a baking tray, spread your potatoes out so they’re all evenly spread and bake for 40-50 minutes until golden, tossing them occasionally to ensure even cooking.

4. To serve, spoon over the tomato sauce (see recipe) and add a dollop of aioli (see recipe) or garlic mayo if you don’t make your own!